{image from Abbey Christine, who's rockin' her personal brand at Renegade Chicago}
Last time, I introduced the concept of your own personal "brand" and how to start building it up. Today, I'll focus on the more "literal" aspects of branding. This will be most insightful to newbies who are just starting their businesses and need to begin from the top, but hopefully even those with more established businesses can incorporate some of the tips. (And psst: if you've been around the block already, I'd love to hear your insight and experiences of your own branding choices!)
As I stated in the last article, branding is the most essential tool you have for the success of your business. It's what will differentiate your products, your services and make you stand out from the pack.
Smart branding makes you more memorable in
the eyes of customers and keeps them coming back. So, it's time to
start building up the image you'd like to present to the world. There's a few branding basics that every website needs:
1. A name
It's hard enough naming a cat, but to name your precious business, all your sweat and hard work- what's the best way to go?
First, your name needs to be original. You can take a peek at this guest post by Maddy over on Modish for tips on how to find a business name that's not already in use. Also, you want a name that's memorable and one that is easy to communicate, easy to say.
I'm a fan of kind of "non-specific" names because they allow your work and your branding to give them definition (and if you change directions here and there as you figure things out, you can still stick with the same name- an added bonus!) For instance, what does Pink loves Brown sell? How bout Moop? Or Honey & Milk? While your name should relate to what you create in some way, it doesn't have to be explicit, like these examples show.
Make your business name fun,
make it interesting, engage your customers to find out more. Choose
something that shows your personality and means something to you. You
want a name that can take you through many long and successful years,
right?
2. A tagline or slogan
Not every business has a tagline, but I think they're incredibly useful. Especially if your name is less explicit, like we mentioned above.
Your tagline gives customers a sense of what they'll find when they reach your site and what benefits you have to offer them. It can also be the thing that gives your brand some extra oomph and helps it to resonate with people.
Good slogans are memorable: "The Happiest Place on Earth", "Home of the Whopper", "Just do it." These are examples from bigname brands that I'm sure I don't have to name because they're so ingrained in our culture.
Take a cue from the big guys- does your business need a
little further explanation, some enticement, something catchy for
people to remember? A good tagline can help do the trick.
3. A logo and design aesthetic
If your work and your business name both embrace your own unique personality, so should your site design and logo. They should remain consistent so they can be easily recognizable as "your brand."
This is hard for me as I tend to get bored and want to change things up all the time, but everytime I do, I'm re-creating my brand and taking away a bit from what I've already established. It may take a little experimentation, but a good logo and consistent site design is the easiest way to establish your brand image, as people are very visual creatures.
When you're thinking of a logo/site design, remember:
- Your logo should be clear, easy to read and work well with your business name.
- Choose colors/designs that appeal to you, that complement your products, that are inline with your target customers' age range/gender/demographics.
- Your logo/site design will instantly differentiate your site from your competitors- let it speak to your unique personality and it will speak to your unique customer base as well.
- If you know nothing about graphics, hire someone! A well designed logo, banner or website can mean a world of difference when it comes to your customer's impressions, and the overall image of your brand's quality.
Once you have these three things in place, you will use them everywhere in your marketing efforts. You want your name, tagline and logo on your website, your etsy shop, your business cards, your email signature, your forum profiles, your newsletter, your packaging, your myspace/facebook page, your flickr profile, all your advertising... anywhere and everywhere you can find a place to put it, do it!
That's the first step in building your brand, the first step in getting your name recognized and the first step to marketing your business.
